


Starklight Bird

by HeyBoy, HogwartsToAlexandria



Series: Marie's Events and Bang Fics [10]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Aerial Skills Performer Peter, Alternate Universe - Circus, Anal Sex, Angry Peter Parker, Angry Sex, Bottom Tony Stark, Bucky Barnes Is a Good Bro, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Happy Hogan is a Good Bro, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Miscommunication, Misunderstandings, Past Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Performing Arts, Rough Kissing, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Top Peter Parker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2021-04-21 15:40:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22088590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeyBoy/pseuds/HeyBoy, https://archiveofourown.org/users/HogwartsToAlexandria/pseuds/HogwartsToAlexandria
Summary: Tony Stark, owner, director, and producer of the Starklight Circus in New York was the stupidest, most foolish dumbass to have ever walked the line.Or the one where men should use their words.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Natasha Romanov, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Peter Parker/Tony Stark
Series: Marie's Events and Bang Fics [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1649737
Comments: 8
Kudos: 91
Collections: Marvel Reverse Big Bang 2019





	Starklight Bird

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HeyBoy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeyBoy/gifts).

> Hey all! This is our (late because the author was overwhelmed, hi that's me) collab for the Marvel Reverse Big Bang!
> 
> The amazing art that gave me hearteyes instantly is by HeyBoy, who you can follow [here](http://heyboydraws.tumblr.com) for more amazing content!
> 
> This was a lot of fun to write, and even more so because I had two amazing cheerleaders throughout, the tireless Betheflame, and the amazing Erja ❤
> 
> Hope you enjoy the read and show the art the love it deserves! As for those of you who care about that information, Peter is 25, Tony 37 in this.

The theater was so full Tony was pretty sure he was standing just shy of getting in trouble with the local firefighting department. But he couldn't blame the people for being excited, nor could he bring himself to deny them entry that night. 

Not when Peter was doing his new act, and they'd been advertising it all over the city. Not when he was too busy watching him with rapture from the lighting and sound control desk. 

The music had him swaying in place, his arms crossed over his chest more hugging himself than assuming his directorial stance. _ Fuck but he was beautiful. _Tony couldn't take his eyes off the man as he climbed up his ropes and swirled in the air, couldn't look away as Peter climbed higher still, only to let himself fall in a flurry of fabric and under the gazes and whispers of the fascinated crowd. He couldn't calm the rate of his heart as Peter smiled at the audience, that brilliant, joyful smile of his that only served to accentuate the delicate doe-like make-up lines around his eyes. 

Tony didn't hear the engineers around him anymore, didn't hear Steve's loud voice backstage as he rounded up the next acts. Didn't hear anything but the sound of his bated breath and the cheers of the people assembled around Peter. It was like he could feel it, the swish of the ropes carefully knotted around Peter's ankles, cautiously wound around his wrists as he let them fall to the side like curtains as he struck his pose, hanging in the middle and looking graceful as an angel. 

The music rose in rhythm as Peter started a new ascension. Higher and faster than before, and the notes carried him there, and the theater with him. It came to a peak just as Peter circled his arm around the rope at the elbow, stayed suspended in the air, the music stopping for an excruciating moment, and coming back with violin and piano notes down, down, until he had one leg bent behind his back, caught at the knee and his opposing arm stretched in front of him wist a fistful of fabric cascading down from his fingers. Tony's breath came out in a huff he couldn't keep in, his eyebrows raised in wonderment, as always, as fucking always. He would never get used to this. 

Peter started making circles that made him slide down his bindings slowly, the stark white light a halo around him even as it tapered down, until the man was nearly touching the ground, and the light was turned off.

The applause was louder than Tony expected, wrapped in his own little bubble of awe, and he startled before joining in. The lights turned back on the entire circle of the stage, and people were on their feet, clapping their hands till they hurt as Peter bowed, and laughed, and bowed again before hopping out and to the backstage. Just brilliant. 

The next act was quick to appear, no break in rhythm allowed for a production such as that of the _ Starklight Circus _. Michelle and Shuri were descending in their trapezes and Tony grinned at the way the audience, so loud in their thankfulness just seconds before was now quiet, wide-eyed, ready for more. 

His eyes unfocused a little, his thoughts derailing just a bit but that never happened, he never allowed it. Tony frowned and rubbed his face praying the start of a headache he could feel at the base of his neck wouldn't expand into a full-blast migraine till after the show. 

"You ok, Boss?" Darcy asked from his left.

Again, Tony cursed himself for startling at the question, as if he'd forgotten he was in her room in the first place. When he looked to the side to answer her, his smile came back though - she may be concerned about him, but she still wasn't looking up from her control panel other than to check the stage, neither was her assistant Vi. 

"M'fine, Darce, just keep on rocking." 

Just then, the door opened to let Natasha pass her head in.

"Want a break big man?" She asked but was already stepping in; the look of her pregnant belly in that white and blue striped dress taking his breath away for all that it was casual and glowing. 

"Sure, Assistant Director Barnes, I'll take it." 

Tony kissed her cheek in passing and stepped out, carefully closing the door on two of his favorite women exchanging glances of concern that didn't escape his notice. 

It was moments like these that were the hardest on his resolve, he couldn't lie to himself there, but he soldiered on, and went looking for Peter. He walked down the stairs as quickly as he could without appearing like he was rushing - bad look - and pushed door after door until he was finally backstage. The noise-level there was always an interesting mix of electro music - _ thank you Shuri _ \- of quiet chatter and songs being rehearsed, of balls being dropped and hair being done. Tony loved it, had loved it since he was a child, couldn't go without it for twenty-four hours without going itchy. 

He waved at everyone, patted Steve's shoulder as the ringmaster made sure yet another act was in place before he and Pepper would go in with Jarvis for their rodeo acrobatics performance. It's only when he got out of the main room and into the more intricate hallways leading to the personal dressing rooms past the make-up stands that he caught Bucky's gaze. A silent question had Bucky tilting his head in confirmation and Tony walked on to Peter's room, not forgetting to get to his own first to retrieve the necessary items for their post-performance ritual. 

He knocked once, then twice. 

"Come in!" Peter's voice rang loud and cheerful, and his face looked it, too, until he saw it was Tony opening the door and his expression soured in a way that twisted Tony's insides. 

"Hey," Tony closed the door behind him, "Got peanut butter and crackers." He said, rather less weakly than he thought it'd get out, if he were to give himself some credit here. 

The food wasn't substantial by any standards but given that the first date Tony had taken him on had been a performance of the Nutcracker opera down at Carnegie Hall, it had become both a joke and a moment they treasured, eating crackers and PB every night the circus performed. 

Peter's expression didn't change though, he only hummed and kept his back to Tony as he removed his make-up in the mirror. 

Tony set the food down on a side table without much thought. This couldn't go on. 

"Would you talk to me at least?"

"There's nothing to talk about, Tony, everything's ok."

"No it's not! You barely talk to me, hardly even look at me and don't… is it the past drinking thing? It is, isn't it? I get that it's not my best card and I'm certainly not a handful of aces to begin with but I'm _ literally _ working on that part every day, Pete, I--" 

"What? What the fuck, Tony, no!" Peter finally turned around in his chair, letting his ball of cotton fall on his dressing table, "What are you talking about, of course it's not the past drinking you idiot!"

Peter's voice was almost a whisper and somehow it made it even fiercer, but it wasn't enough to calm Tony, whose eyes were filling with tears by then. _ Fuck but he was useless at these things _.

"Really? Then--"

"Yes, _ really _," Peter got up, finally walking closer to Tony the way he would normally do, pushing him until Tony's back hit the door he hadn't stepped away from. "Of course it's not that, it will never be that, I know the work you're doing, I know that, don't question it." 

Peter's dark chocolate eyes were wide as he tilted his head until Tony really looked in them, accepted to see the truth they displayed so vividly. His mind only cleared when Peter inched closer. 

"I love you, even when you're stupid just like right now old man," he said, and kissed Tony. 

It wasn't a tender kiss, it wasn't soft, it was all the strength and affirmation Tony needed. 

It was also their first real kiss in three days. 

The first real kiss they shared since that night three days ago, where Tony had asked Peter to marry him, and Peter had stormed off the room, this very room. His mind was slowly coming back on line, leaving the fog of self-loathing, enjoying the feel of Peter's lips and tongue and chest and arms around him and against him. Slowly coming back to puzzlement too. 

He only asked once Peter broke the kiss and stepped back, panting a little, his eyes slightly glazed over and his lips looking red, and glistening and… 

"Then why? Peter, I… you gotta tell me, I'm going crazy here. I fucking proposed to you, if you don't wanna get married to me just say so and we'll forget about it, I'll cry, and forget about it." Tony's tone tried to get into his usual lilt when he was trying to be funny but Peter didn't look amused. 

"You really don't get it, do you?" Peter searched his face but Tony only shook his head, waving his hands in an _ obviously not _ gesture. Peter sighed, opening his mouth to say something else but a knock on the door startled the both of them. 

Fuck, that too, had to stop.

Tony stepped to the side to open the door. 

"Need you in the control room for Steve and Pep's, Tones," Bucky informed them, looking contrite but Tony nodded; that was the job. 

"I'll follow you," and then turning back to Peter, wanting to say something else, something more…

"Go, I'll see you after." Peter said and Tony took his pensive expression with him, even as he followed Bucky's long strides through the hallways and then out into the lobby again, until they were back in the control room. 

"Alright ladies," Tony put his mask back on, an easy habit to fall back into and kept on cheerfully, "my turn to shine!"

He didn't fool a soul in that room.

The twins' act demanded all of Tony's focus, his passion and energy going into every single twitch that had the lighting moving just so, illuminating Steve's arms and Pepper's face, falling down the slope of Jarvis' robust back and making the duo's fair hair shine like they'd put glitter in it. Tony moved through the numerous commands, danced his own little act behind the scenes and only sat down when finally, the curtains dropped with one last swish of Jarvis' stark black tail. A bone-deep fatigue fell on him but Tony didn't stay seated long, never did. 

One final round-up of the company for the audience all together to bow and clap and again. Then he could rest. Maybe. 

Shuri and Wanda raced down the stairs, Steve carried Pepper on his shoulders and Bucky and Nat held hands, Darcy dragged her feet like she did every night even though she enjoyed this part just as much as the rest of them, and Peter, well Peter smiled bright for the crowd and too his hand like he always did, but he didn't look at him. Tony could see the way he was frowning to himself underneath his innocent poker face. He squeezed Peter's hand, harder than he realized, as fear kept on crippling his every movement. 

He couldn't lose him, not now, not ever. He just couldn't. 

Tony caught Bucky's gaze over the ten and some heads of their crew and family as everyone made their way off the stage under the applause and cheers of the crowd. Bucky was smiling, something exasperated in his eyes as he shrugged at Tony's raised eyebrow and it rubbed him the wrong way somehow, the conversation they'd had earlier in the day coming back to him with minute precision. 

_ "Barnes, you got a second?" Tony called out, holding onto the door of his room/office/nap corner/quickie quarters, only his head poking out. _

_ Bucky stopped dead in his tracks in the middle of the hallway, Shuri almost stumbling onto him head first with how sudden it was and how deep into her phone she'd been. He turned around to look Tony in the eye, gauging the look on his face, or so it looked like. Tony was past caring, three days of Peter's silent treatment would do that to him. _

_ "What is it, boss?" Bucky pushed the door open and walked in as Tony walked backwards into the room. _

_ He closed the door behind him quietly before crossing his arms, his head tilted and his mouth quirked into a smile. Tony didn't care for that look either. _

_ "That face tells me you know, James." _

_ "Nope." _

_ "Don't fuck with me Barnes, I'm… fuck," Tony turned around, avoiding Bucky's gaze as he took a deep, ragged breath in. _

_ "Tony…" Bucky's voice was gentle but no less tired. The man took a few steps closer until he could put a hand on Tony's shoulder. _

_ "He hasn't talked to me in three days. _ Three _ days, Barnes. And I know you two talk." _

_ "Everyone talks to me, massages make people talk, you should know." Bucky said but Tony didn't feel like smiling at that last jab, not today. _

_ He shrugged the man's hand off and sunk on his couch, putting his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. _

_ "He did talk to me, Tones, but I can't… I can't help you here, man, you two gotta figure your shit out on your own, yeah?" _

_ Tony rubbed his face, harsher than he probably should, and looked at Bucky on the downstroke. He was exhausted, and he knew he looked it, no matter how big a schedule he still had to keep up with. _

_ "Yeah? Tony?" Bucky asked again. _

_ Tony did his absolute best to keep his tears from falling. _

_ "How's Nat?" He asked in the end. _

_ Bucky looked taken aback before he nodded, "Good, cranky, NTR." _

_ "Of course." Tony smiled, or he tried. _

After they were all offstage, the time came for Tony and Steve to shake numerous hands and thank the audience for attending as people filtered out of the amphitheater. 

Neither of them would really call it their favorite part, but business was business even when Tony's mind kept wandering back to the way Peter had scampered out of the main room and up to their floor right after their private bowing and clapping circle backstage. He never did that. But then again, he'd never refused peanut butter and crackers before. 

* * *

The building of _ Stark Circus _was made on one side of three walls forming a half square that joined at the end of the side aisles in a dome where the show happened nine months out of ten, and at the center, a yard that hosted a permanent glass marquee for the remaining months, the sunny ones. All the artists and staff were welcomed to move into any of the numerous apartments the aisles contained, in addition to dining at Happy's restaurant on the ground floor - the circus' cantine really. Most elected to live in the building, and Tony had lived in the penthouse his whole life, with the addition of Peter about a year and a half before. It was home, comfort, his safe place where he could crash and rest. 

Only, it was harder to put his mind at ease when Peter wouldn't talk to him. Which was why, as he went up the vintage elevator to the apartment after wrapping-up the show and locking the main doors, Tony's hands were shaking. 

His mouth and throat felt dry when he pushed the door open, drier when he found the place was plunged in darkness. 

"Pete?" 

The only answer Tony got came in the form of sheets rustling where the door to the bedroom was open, and then, when he took a few tentative steps in that direction, a warm hand wrapping around his wrist and tugging him forward. 

"Come on," Peter hissed when Tony was too slow to go with the movement.

"Peter, what--" 

A mouth just as warm as the fingers still wrapped around Tony's hand crashed into his own, full of teeth and anger and _ so _hot. Tony shuddered when Peter's strong arms circled his shoulders and neck, pulling him to his chest harshly and still walking backwards as he took every last breath from Tony's lungs. 

Tony tried pushing him away the second Peter relented, his mind righting itself just enough to wonder if he was into one more make-out session and still no answer from his partner but Peter didn't let him. He kicked the door closed with his foot at the same time as he swiped his tongue over Tony's lips, forcing it past his teeth and groaning as he did so. Tony's hands Peter's back in reflex, finding nothing to grip but the man’s naked shoulders and waist, his smooth skin rippling with heat. 

The bedroom only had one light on, Peter's bedside one, and it cast such a warm, sharp glow over the younger man that Tony didn't properly react when Peter pushed him down on the bed and proceeded to attack his clothes, starting with his belt. The leather swooshed and the metal clanked, Tony's heart thumping in his chest as he watched Peter go through the motions and lifted his hips in time to let him push his pants and underwear down in one go. 

"Pete… slow down, what… what are you _ doing _?" Tony reached out to stop Peter's hands, and he failed. Peter grabbed his wrists mid-motion and pinned them by Tony's head, leaning over him with a darkness in his eyes that lit Tony's loins on fire. 

"Fucking the stupid out of you, that's what I'm doing." Peter hissed, "Keep them here." He added, pressing on Tony's hands, his thumbs sliding across Tony's palms as withdrew his own. 

Tony's eyes widened slightly as Peter got up, pushed his sweatpants down, and bent quickly to reach into the drawer of his nightstand, stark naked when he came back to kneel between Tony's legs with the bottle of lube in one hand and the other pushing Tony's knees to open wider. Only when he unscrewed the cap of the bottle and got ready to pour some of it on his fingers did Peter look up into Tony's eyes again. 

"I love you." He whispered, fierceness in his voice even as it sounded like he was both allowing Tony time to let it sink in, and asking if he could go further. 

Tony's knees fell to the side, abandoning all pretense of not wanting what was about to happen when even his cock was finally answering Peter's call and he whispered back, "I love you, too." 

Peter nodded to himself and proceeded to pour a hefty amount of lube onto his fingers, rubbing them together to warm it before he leaned down again, his lips barely an inch from Tony's as he brushed the pad of a first finger to Tony's hole. 

"Breathe." He said, like he always said. 

Tony licked his lips, giving a tentative push down for Peter to get on with it. And that he did. Peter pushed his finger in past a knuckle, then two, watching Tony's face closely as he kept pushing in, then started thrusting it shallowly. He took Tony's lips in yet another bruising kiss as he pushed another finger in right away, slow but relentless. 

Tony writhed on the bed, his hands clenching around nothing before fisting in the hem of the pillowcase under his head. At the hint of the third finger, Tony's back arched off the bed, his hips actively thrusting back onto Peter's fingers, his dick growing painfully hard on his stomach. 

"Ready?" Peter asked, his voice muffled by the thick arousal that closed up his throat. 

"Yeah, yes, please," Tony moaned, Peter's fingers brushing over his prostate cutting his air supply short. 

"Good, 'cause I'm going to wreck you, Tony Stark." Peter bit his lip, hard, just as he took his fingers out and Tony groaned in pleasure. 

Peter put Tony's legs on his shoulders, his strong arms contracting through the motion before he lined himself up, looking from Tony's face to his hole, his cheeks red with lust and just a shadow of his anger as he finally pushed in. 

"Oh _ fuuuck _," Tony's mouth hung open, his eyes clenching shut as Peter pierced through him, the familiar ache of his boyfriend's cock entering him for the first time all at once delicious and agonizing. "C'mon move, move baby." 

"Oh I'm moving." Peter snapped his hips in and out, grunting as he went, his hands tightening their grip around Tony's calves to the point where Tony knew he'd have bruises the next day. He welcomed them, at least he'd know he hadn't dreamed this. 

Peter set up a punishing rhythm of fast thrusts and slow drags, the slickness of the lube squelching loudly in the room that knew only of their moans and ragged breathing. His face was set in the frown he always had when he fucked Tony like this, concentrated, all of him taut and driving towards one goal, abusing Tony's prostate as thoroughly as his deceivingly freakish strength let him - which was, completely. 

Tony had thought they'd talk, he'd thought he'd find Peter resting somewhere, as sullen as he'd been the past few days, he hadn't considered tonight would be the night he forgot it all, empty his brain with the force of his lover making a mess of him. He couldn't think straight, could only see the paleness of Peter's cheek in the warm yellow light of the nightstand lamp, could only feel, the continued sparks of pleasure that lit his spine on fire and made his cock spill precome on his own stomach. 

Peter yanked Tony's legs to him, hard and fast until Tony's lower back rested on his knees and he could fold him in half, hammering away, sweat breaking on his forehead and down his neck as he leaned to take Tony's lips. He sucked on Tony's tongue, dirty noises filling the room as he kept fucking him, harsh, relentless, heavenly. 

"You still don't get it…" Peter growled against his lips, "do you?"

His voice was so low, the memory of his anger making Tony pant with arousal rather than sadness this time. 

"I… I don't, _ Pete _," Tony keened, his body jostling with every thrust Peter railed inside him, his mouth opening wider on Peter's name without his say so, fucked open. "Tell me, please tell me." Tony gripped Peter's shoulder and neck so hard there would probably be marks there later. Peter didn't say anything about it, just moaned as Tony tensed, his prostate about ready to burst and his cock so hard it was all Tony could think of anymore. 

"You gonna come for me, Tony?" Peter bit on Tony's jaw, then descended to bite at the tendons in his neck, the pinpricks of pain shooting straight to Tony's groin. 

"I… yeah, fuck, yes!" Tony passed his fingers in Peter's hair, yanking his head back as he felt himself tumbling over the edge, wanting to look into Peter's eyes, wanting to see him watching him as he came, harder than he could remember. 

Peter didn't slow down after Tony's cock stopped spilling, just kept going, faster, harder, more painful and just as delicious as Tony whimpered from oversensitivity and his boyfriend moaned lower and lower, reaching his own peak. With one last low rumble, Peter was coming inside Tony, and his arms gave out just as Tony let his legs fall to the sides. 

They stayed there, breathing hard all against one another, their skins stuck together by come and sweat alike, their hearts beating so fast it was like they could hear them. 

It's only much later, when they parted to get under the covers and turned the light off, when Tony's questions came back to fill his mind tenfold and Peter's face closed back, that Peter talked. His voice was muffled by his pillow as he talked with his back turned towards Tony, laying on his side as he whispered, "Marriage means something to me, Tony." 

And Tony wanted to reach back, turn him around, shout that it meant something to him as well for fuck's sakes, and that it was why he knew he wanted it with Peter and had never wanted it with anyone else. But he stayed put. He thought Peter's words over, sought out the hidden meaning of such a simple sentence, that had the power of explaining him why Peter had barely said three words to him before the moment they'd shared in his room earlier. It was the key to reading Peter, so Tony shut his mouth, and let him sleep as he thought. 

He thought back on that night three days ago, at the look on everyone's faces after the show wrapped up under yet another torrent of applause and gathered backstage, exhausted but still laughing, bantering all together, at ease in their family of misfits. Tony bit his lip as he remembered the bright grin Peter had had, and the way he'd come huddle himself between Tony's legs where Tony had been seating at the top of one of the many battered sofas. He could still feel the pressure of Peter's thin fingers around his wrist as he'd reached back to hold Tony's hand as they listened to their friends, sisters, brothers all throughout the evening. 

He thought about the way Peter had lashed out when, jumping at the opportunity of a joyful conversation about commitment, Tony had exclaimed his intention of marrying Peter. The shock, the confusion that had written itself out on Peter's face, the anger that had flashed through his eyes as he'd asked if Tony was serious and Tony had said that, _ of course _ he was, his own confusion starting to seep through his voice as everyone around them had quieted down. 

_ "You can't just… what the fuck Tony!" _

There, he'd left, Tony's face crumpling in distress. He'd tried going after him, only to find Peter had locked himself in their bedroom, effectively keeping Tony out to sleep on the couch. Which he did not, sleep, of course not. Nor was he able to catch but a few hours here and there in the three days that followed, no matter the concern on Bucky's face or Steve's stern commands that he go rest. He just couldn't. How could he. 

And then it flashed, back to one of their first dates, back to when Peter had been all but starting in the circus and already, Tony couldn't keep his eyes off him, nor could either of them keep their hands off each other for too long. How ironic that this particular memory was that of the Nut Cracker performance they'd gone to see, how fucking funny that Tony had thought he could keep referencing it when the very key to Peter's anger had been given to him that very night. 

_ "My aunt, she raised me you know? And she loved my uncle, but she always wanted to get married, and he didn't, and she thought she'd convinced him when proposed to her. They'd organized the whole thing, she had a pretty dress - nothing too fancy, we weren't rich - and there was going to be food and her friends would be there - we didn't have much family apart from the three of us. And then he didn't show." _

_ "He didn't _ show _ ?" _

_ "Nope, he left her, right there at the altar, I was six, I remember. He didn't come. And when we got home, he wasn't there either, his stuff was all gone, we never saw him again, and May was never the same." _

_ "Peter I'm sorry." _

_ "Oh, I'm… no, don't be, was a long time ago. It's just… she was so sure…" _

Tony Stark, owner, director, and producer of the Starklight Circus in New York was the stupidest, most foolish dumbass to have ever walked the line. Fuck's sakes. 

* * *

Tony got up at 4am that day, full of hope in his newly found revelation that it’d be a day he, and their family but mostly _ Peter _ would remember as the beginning of the rest of their lives. What an idiot he’d made, but he was determined to right this wrong.

Mornings were always really quiet at _ Starklight _, no matter the buzz of life in the streets outside, everyone was entitled to their sleep in this house and then, when they filtered out of their apartments, half-awake and still in their pajamas, everyone gathered, in their own time, at Happy’s table for breakfast, picking their poisons - or fuel - from the buffet the man always made sure was overflowing with their favorites. Tony got into the kitchens right before Happy was due to arrive and put on a suit, as Happy jokingly called his chef outfit. 

The look in Tony’s lifelong friend when he saw him waiting between one of the fridges and the main work space, was one of amusement rather than surprise. He raised an eyebrow at him as he took his coat off and tied his long black hair in a low ponytail, then only asked as he washed his hands thoroughly, “What can I do for you, boss?”

“Teach me how to make a French wedding cake.” Tony said right away, thinking back on the large structured cake that had been in the hall of the opera that same night three years ago, and at the look of awe in Peter’s eyes. “I called in someone to help you with regular breakfast duties starting in two hours.”

Happy’s eyes had rounded a little, whether at the extent of the task ahead of them of in real surprise this time, Tony couldn’t tell, but he sure as fuck wasn’t going to handle another minute of being stared at soundlessly. 

“You helping or not?” Tony pressed and Happy laughed.

“Yes, of course, don’t want you setting fire to my kitchen now do I?”

“Ouch, I’d be hurt, but I don’t have time, I have a man to propose to.” Tony grinned and the way Happy looked at him then, his friend as if seeing right through him with blinding softness, it gave him the boost he needed not to second-guess himself this time.

"And it's called a _ pièce montée _, by the way." Happy mused as they got ready. 

"Do you have it?" Tony asked later, panting a little as he whipped the cream, his arm burning by now. 

Happy huffed where he was poached the choux a little way from Tony. 

"You seriously asking me?"

Tony side-eyed him, "Yup." 

"In my coat pocket." 

The smile Happy had on his face then, all secretive and… proud? Tony couldn't wait. Even if his hands shook from an entirely different reason than the exertion of making this monster of a French pastry.

Everybody started slowly making their sleepy ways to the breakfast table. First Steve, always grumpy even though he made sure he gave a smile to each and every person he met the eyes of, then Nat, and Bucky not far behind, Darcy, already a cup of coffee from her own kitchen in hand, yawning hard and finally, Shuri, Pepper, and Wanda. Peter was often the last, and just so Tony's nerves would reach their final stage of freak-out, today was no different. 

He had dark circles under his eyes, the skin hued in blue there and Tony couldn't resist going to him, even if it might result in rejection. He always had to have his hands all over that sleepy face in the morning, couldn't help it. Peter didn't push him away, he huffed in silent amusement even when Tony first kissed his lips, and then proceeded to bury his hands in his curls to kiss the rest of his face obnoxiously loudly. 

"Big goof," Peter breathed against Tony's lips before he sat down on his chair completely. 

"You two are gross," Bucky piped up, while the rest of the table chuckled.

"The only reason you don't do that in front of us all too is because Nat would kick your ass Barnes, we all know that." Tony winked at him, his heart lighter than it had been in a long while, no matter how shaky he was.

"Had a good night's sleep, baby mama?" Shuri jumped in, her hands cradling her hot cocoa close. 

Natasha gave her a short laugh, "Sleep? Don't know her." 

Now that Tony fully took in the circles under her eyes, he could see just how true that must be, but before he could say anything - like offering her to step down from work to rest, and get sent to hell as usual - Steve cleared his throat, looking at Tony with amusement in his eyes. 

"What about you Tony, care to tell us what you were doing up at 5?"

Peter's head whipped up at that, his head lolling backwards to see Tony where he stood right behind him. He made a questioning noise, his eyes displaying just a hint if guilt that Tony was eager to erase. 

"First of all, Rogers, it was 4, I was up at _ 4 _, and second of all…" Tony grinned at the numerous curious looks he was now getting, from concern to exasperation, he took it all in. "Happy?" 

The man straightened up in his spot by the door, making a mock salute before he disappeared into the kitchen. 

"What the…" Steve started. 

Natasha smiled at Tony's wink while Bucky grinned at Peter's face, distorting to accommodate the 'o' of his open mouth. 

Happy pushed the _ pièce montée _ into the room, the noise of the wheeled tray dulled by the first keys of the _ Petite Ouverture _, and Peter's renewed gasp. 

"What's that?" Peter choked when Tony finally dared looking at him, taking a step back from the chair to stand in front of his boyfriend. 

"You know, love." Tony whispered, just as he slowly - blame age, or nerves, or prudence - descended on one knee, tapping his vest pocket for the one thing he needed and hadn't had with him last time to prove his good faith. 

"_ Tony _," Peter's eyes were misting over quickly, just as quickly as Tony's heart was starting to worry him. 

"_ Peter _, I was an ass," Tony counted off the fingers of his free hand, the other clutched around the box inside his pocket still, "I was rash, or at least that's the impression I gave you, I was a fool that did not understand what you were trying to tell me." Tony took a deep breath there, his eyes only stirring away from Peter to take in the others' bated expressions for a second before he started again, grinning, "But the truth is," he took the box out, opened it as smoothly as his shaking hands allowed him, "I've had this for two years, eight months, and four days. That's how long I've been planning to do this baby, two years, eight months, and four days. Happy had it this whole time." 

Peter looked to the side, certainly in Happy's direction and Tony watched him as he laughed, a short, pure thing that echoed in the silence of everyone else around the table. He watched him rub his face with hands that weren't any more steady than his own and watched again, as Peter's eyes, tearful and bright, looked from the ring inside the box, back Tony's face, to his own eyes. Peter raised a pretend-haughty eyebrow at him, biting his bottom lip right after to cover his grin, "Well?" 

"Well," Tony could feel the way his cheeks strained around his own smile, "if you'll do me the honor, I'd like to marry you, be my husband Pete, marry me."

Peter grin broke on a sob, and he started nodding repeatedly, a little crazy as he laughed and cried and waved his hand in Tony's direction. 

"Yes, yes Tony, yes I'll be your husband." He was practically jumping on his seat until Tony took his hand in his, steadying them both and he put the box on his knee and took out the ring. Their gazes hooked, Tony put the ring on Peter's fingers, his heart drumming to high heavens. 

He squeezed Peter's hands, his breath coming in fast, until neither of them could take it anymore. Peter launched himself out of his chair and into Tony's arms just as Tony kneeled completely. They held onto each other's shoulders, and biceps, and back and hips and everything as they kissed the tears, and strain and silence of the last few days out of their systems, as they kissed the grins, and breath, and love from one pair of lips to the other until they forgot where they were, no matter the noise the others made as they cheered, laughing and crying themselves. 

"I love you so much," Tony breathed before kissing Peter again. 

"Can't ever live without you, ever," Peter sobbed before yanking Tony back into yet another kiss.

"A piece of your cake, Mr Starks?" Bucky nudged them with a plate filled with choux. 

Peter kept an iron grip on Tony's neck, effectively keeping him from drawing away as he turned to look at the intruder and winked, "Excuse me sir, but that's a _ pièce montée _ ."   
  


**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on [my Starker+ Tumblr](http://3kshadesofstarkerstrange.tumblr.com%22), or my [main](http://hogwartstoalexandria.tumblr.com) if your heart so desires. Thank you for reading! 😘


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